


Protection

by psocoptera



Category: Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld
Genre: Condoms, Cultural Differences, Culture Shock, Dialogue-Only, F/M, First Time, Safer Sex, Tentacles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-13
Updated: 2014-02-13
Packaged: 2018-01-12 04:10:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1181718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psocoptera/pseuds/psocoptera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not any worse than a Spottiswoode rebreather.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Protection

"That's disgusting."

"What? Clankers don't use protection?"

"Of course we - Britain _still_ doesn't give their soldiers condoms, and you think we're the backwards - "

"Why do you even know that?"

"Do you have any idea how many men on _Leviathan_ tried to buy them from me?"

"We were barely in port for - "

"Long. Enough."

"So what's the problem then?"

"We use normal condoms, Deryn! Dipped rubber!"

"Don't see why wrapping yourself in a bit of old tyre's better than a nice slick membrane."

"Deryn."

"What?"

"It's _wiggling_."

"That's how you know it's still fresh!"

"..."

"What - oh, Alek. You don't - maybe we should just… put our pants back on for now?"

"This isn't some kind of prank."

"Um... yes. Yes it was, and, look, all gone. Kiss me a bit?"

"Deryn."

"Yes?"

"I really do really want to - "

"I know. Maybe an import shop? Or you could - "

"I am _not_ asking Volger."

"Well, I don't want to be a mum yet, so - "

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"You would really - um. You would really put that, um - "

"I want to too, _Dummkopf_. And, um. I've tried it."

"Really."

"Oh! Not with - I mean, just, by myself."

" _Really_."

"I could - um, I could show you?"

"..."

"Not if it would bother you. To, um, see it again."

"But you would - "

"It's not any worse than a Spottiswoode rebreather."

"You said that was horrid!"

"A _bit_ horrid, the first couple times. Now I wouldn't think twice about it."

"And that is our hope, here? A bit horrid, the first few times?"

"Well... I am a girl under the trousers, love, I mean, I've heard - "

"I didn't think of it like that."

"Well."

"Was it - _was_ it horrid? When you, uh, tried it?"

"No, it was actually - um."

"You're blushing."

"I'm naked and talking about stuffing things up my - you're blushing too, you know. And, look, it was actually really nice, okay?"

"Nice?"

"Remember last Wednesday, in the tropical greenhouse?"

"Last - oh. _Oh_. 'Nice.' Really?"

"Like I said, I could show you. You just - you just lie back here, and I'll - here, I'll, give me a kiss, yes, _umm_. I just, well, um. Like this."

"Mein Gott."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Deryn."

"Alek."

"Can I touch - "

"Oh, yes."

"You're so - Deryn, I - Deryn - maybe - "

"I - ah - I - oh - I might have bought us the two-pack?"

"That's..."

"Ah… ah... yes?"

"That's - that's - stop. Stop."

"Oh! Sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pressure you - "

"No, no, I mean, if we keep, um, I'm going to, uh. And, I thought, maybe we could, um..."

"Yes?"

"... try the other one?"

"Really?"

"Well, unless you've got a bit of old tyre inst - mmpf."

" _Mmm._ Oh, Alek. You do give up a lot for me, don't you."

"An empire and now proper condoms, yes."

"I'm sor -"

"Ssh. The empire was worth it. The condoms - well - let's find out?"

**Author's Note:**

> The German military really was the first to provide condoms to its soldiers, and Britain really was the last country in Europe to do so. ([reference](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condom#1800_through_1920s).)


End file.
